A Slight Change
by Rosewick
Summary: This story revolves around the ships WhiteRose and Arkos. It contains Male!Weiss, Male!Pyrrha, and Fem!Jaune. Ruby Rose falls in love at the first sight of the ice cold Wynn Schnee, and would do anything to make him happy. Can she make him feel the same way? Or will it all be in vain? ... Joan Arc has been chosen as the Fall Maiden! What will her partner do? Will love prevail?
1. The Shining Beacon

_**Hiya, Rosewick here! ^^**_

 _ **It's been quite a while since I've posted anything, mostly because I've been busy with irl stuff, and because of that horrible thing called writers block ;n;**_

 _ **Anyway, this story was a request**_

 _ **I've never really thought about doing requests until this person messaged me, then I was like "Huh, why not?" so I decided I'd give it a try!**_

 _ **This person gave me several ideas for different stories, and I put a few of the ideas into one story. Don't worry though, I'll still work on some of the other ideas! I might not be able to do all of them though! (Sorry!)**_

 _ **Anywho, this story will be revolving around two main ships: White Rose and Arkos.**_

 _ **The only difference with these ships in**_ **my _story, is that Weiss, Jaune, and Pyrrha are all genderbent._**

 ** _The names are as follows:_**

 ** _Weiss Schnee - Wynn Schnee_**

 ** _Jaune Arc - Joan Arc_**

 ** _Pyrrha Nikos - (Still deciding) Nikos_**

 ** _The story will be mostly the same as the show, except for a few twists and turns that I've decided to add to it. There will be a few side stories that were not in the show, and the characters will have somewhat different reactions based on things._**

 ** _Now, with all that out of the way, I present to you all:_**

 ** _A Slight Change_**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Shining Beacon

"Wait! Where are you going? Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Do we have dorms?" Ruby spun around once final time, her sense of direction and balance having left her all together, "I don't know what I'm doing…" No longer able to stand, the small huntress fell over backwards, colliding with a stack of briefcases and sending them all tumbling down.

"What the hell are you doing?!" A slightly high pitched male voice spoke up, sounding rather annoyed.

"Oh, uh! I'm sorry!" Ruby picked up one of the fallen briefcases and handed it to the man before her, who quickly snatched it away. She didn't get a good look at his face, as he immediately opened the case to check the contents, the lid obscuring his head. From what Ruby could tell, he was a high-class member of society, being that he wore a white suit with the jacket open and a light blue vest underneath.

"Sorry? Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?!"

"Uhh…"

"This is _Dust_ – mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry!"

"Uhhh…"

"What are you, brain-dead? _Dust_! Fire, water, lightning, energy!"

The man grabbed a vial from the case and shut it while waving the vial around, causing dust to pour out all over Ruby. She was too busy trying to hold her sneeze in that the man's words weren't registering in her mind.

"Are you even listening? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

The small huntress couldn't hold it back any longer and she sneezed in a fiery explosion of flames, snowflakes, and small lightning bolts, all of which was aimed directly at the man before her. After the smoke from the explosion had cleared, the white-clad man was covered in black soot. Ruby touched her index fingers together repeatedly while ducking her head in shame.

The soot covered man stomped angrily, causing all the soot to vanish, returning him to his former white state. "Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

"I'm really, _really_ sorry!" Ruby still didn't look up at the man, being too embarrassed to directly make eye contact.

"Ugh! You complete _dolt_! What are you even _doing_ here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well, I-I…"

"This isn't your ordinary combat school! It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight _monsters_ , so… Watch where you're going!"

Ruby had finally had enough, the anger building up inside of her as the man continued to scold and insult her.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, your _highness_!" Ruby finally looked up to glare at the man before her, only to stop and stare in awe at the beauty of his face. He had the air and look of a prince. A heavenly creature full of grace and elegance. Upon his left eye was a scar, leading from his eyebrow to just above his cheekbone. You'd think such a feature would corrupt his face, yet it only served to make it even more handsome by drawing you to the beauty of his other features. Ruby was at a loss for words as she gawked at the man before her. She probably would have kept staring if it weren't for the smooth female voice that interrupted them.

"He's an heir, actually." Both Ruby and the man looked over to see a girl dressed in black, with long and curly dark locks, and a cute black bow atop her head. She walked over, holding the vial of red dust that the man had dropped during the explosive sneeze. "Wynn Schnee, heir to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

The man known as Wynn put his hands on his hips and smiled proudly, taking on a haughty attitude, "Finally! Some recognition!" He turned his glare towards Ruby momentarily.

"The same company infamous for its controversial labour forces, and questionable business partners." The black-clad female squinted at Wynn, who's face flared up with anger. Ruby chuckled as Wynn stumbled around for words.

"Wha- how dare you- the nerve of-! Ugh!" He reached over and snatched the vial of dust from the girl's hand, momentarily glaring back at Ruby before stomping off towards the school.

Ruby instantly regretted chuckling, as now Wynn hated her even more. She quickly looked up and shouted, "I promise I'll make this up to you!" Ruby sighed, looking down, "Guess I'm not the only one who's having a rough first day… So! What's-…" She turned to talk to the other girl, but to her dismay, she was walking away. Not really sure what to do, Ruby fell to the ground in defeat. "Welcome to Beacon…" She closed her eyes and stayed there until a shadow loomed over her. When she opened her eyes, a small blonde girl was standing over her with her hand held out.

"Hey… I'm Joan."

"Ruby…" Ruby took the girl's hand and stood up. She then stifled a laugh as she realized just who this was, "Aren't you the girl that threw up on the ship?"

oOoOoOo

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!"

Ruby laughed apologetically, "Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Girl was the first thing that came to mind."

"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?" The other girl grinned over at Ruby.

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!" Ruby stomped, her face holding a slight red tint with embarrassment.

"Well, the name's Joan Arc! Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue – men love it!" Jaundice looked confident as she said this, standing up taller and looking forward with pride. Ruby was still skeptical though.

"Do they?" She lifted an eyebrow at the girl.

"Th-they will! Well… I-I hope they will. My mom always says that… Never mind." She looked down in defeat, also slightly embarrassed now.

Ruby giggled, which was followed by a short awkward silence. Both girls seemed to be rather awkward when it came to socialization, which Ruby was both thankful and not thankful for. "So… I've got this thing!" She pulled out Crescent Rose, transforming it into its full scythe form and stabbing it into the ground. Joan quickly jumped away, holding her hands up defensively.

"W-woah! I-is that a scythe?"

"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle!"

"A-wha…?"

Ruby cocked the gun, smiling proudly, "It's also a gun."

"Oh! That's neat!"

Pride swelled up inside of Ruby. Having someone compliment her weapon was heavenly. "So, what've you got?" She also couldn't wait to see what this girl used. After all, people's weapons were like an extension of themselves.

"Oh! I, uh…" The girl reached over and unsheathed a blade from its hilt on her belt. "I have this sword!"

"Ooohhhhh…!" Ruby looked the sword up and down, admiring its every detail with intense excitement.

"Yeah, and I've got a shield, too!" Joan grabbed the hilt from her belt and held up her arm, expanding the metal into a shield. Ruby took note of the banana looking symbol that sat on the middle of the shield.

She reached one hand forward to touch the shield, her excitement and curiosity getting the best of her, "So, what do they do?"

As she touched the cold metal, the shield retracted off Joan's arm, expanding and retracting once more as she fumbled around before she finally caught it and shrank it down for good. Once it was back in its collapsed form, the girl placed it back on her belt. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just… Put it away!" Jaundice smiled awkwardly, trying to convince even herself that it was cool.

Ruby raised an eyebrow, realizing that maybe this girl wasn't the best when it came to combat. "But… Wouldn't it weigh the same?"

Joan look down dejectedly, "Yeah, it does…"

After letting out a small giggle, Ruby caressed her scythe slightly, "Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo… I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it."

"Wait – you _made_ that?!" The girl stared at Ruby in both admiration and surprise.

"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours…?"

"I-it's a hand-me-down… My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" Ruby laughed awkwardly, "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

Joan sheathed her sword, "Yeah, the classics…"

They both started walking forward again, continuing their conversation.

"So… Why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?"

"Eh, why not?" The girl shrugged, "My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet'!"

"Hmm." Ruby looked around the both of them, "Where are we going?"

"Oh, I don't know! I was following you."

They looked at each other, realizing they were even more lost than before. Both of them started laughing once they realized the situation they were in before heading towards the main building to look for where they were supposed to go. Ruby was just glad that she could make at least one friend. She couldn't stop thinking about the boy from earlier though. There was just something about him that drew Ruby in. Oh well, she'd worry about it later. For now, she needed to focus.

* * *

 _ **Hihi, Rosewick is back! :P**_

 _ **Okay, so, three things. Maybe four?**_

 _ **One: I'm not a WhiteRose shipper (in case the name didn't give it away), I'm just doing it for the person who requested it.**_

 _ **Two: Jaune is going to be a bit shyer, and not as flirty/outgoing as in the show.**_

 _ **Three: Lol, hi**_

 _ **Three for real: I'm gonna set up a poll (once I figure out how) for what Pyrrha's genderbent name should be. It'd be really great if you all could vote for me and help me decide! ^^**_

 _ **Four: Yeah... There's no number four. Lol.**_

 _ **Alrighty then! If anyone wants to make a story request, I'm open for ideas! Just PM me some ideas/thoughts and I'll decide if I'll be able to write a story based off of it or not!**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (even though I barely made any changes, there'll be a lot more later on), and hopefully I'll be able to post the next one soon!**_

 _ **If you haven't already checked out my YouTube channel, where I post other RWBY related stuff (mostly just funny shizznits :P), then you should definitely do so! Just like on here, the channel name is Rosewick!**_

 _ **I'll see you all next chapter! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Rosewick out ^_~!**_


	2. The Shining Beacon, Pt2

_**Rawr!**_

 _ **Rosewick here with another chapter ^_~!**_

 _ **I can't wait to write the chapter where they're all in the forest! There's sooooooooooo much character development you can put there U**_

 _ **Aaaaaaaaaaaanyway, I hope you all enjoy, and I'll see you at the end of the chapter!**_

 _ **OH! One last thing:**_

If I start like this, _then go to this, **then proceed to this, and end with this...**_

 _ **Then that's just to emphasize that the speaker is talking faster and faster, just like Weiss did in the show ^_~!**_

 _ **I didn't really know how else to put that, so I just made something up. *Shrug***_

* * *

Chapter 2: The Shining Beacon, Pt.2

Ruby and her new friend, Joan, entered a giant room that was in what appeared to be the main building. It was buzzing with people, most of them chatting amongst their small groups and a few stragglers meeting new friends. Oh, how Ruby wished she could mingle that easily…

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" Ruby quickly looked around for the source of the voice, spotting Yang amongst a group of people and waving at her little sister.

Ruby turned to Joan and quickly spewed out, "Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!"

"Hey, wait!" Before the other girl had time to respond, Ruby was already on her way over to Yang. Joan sighed, being alone once more. "Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky person to talk to?!" She moved further into the room, failing to notice a pair of bright green eyes watching her as she went.

As Ruby approached her sister, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared.

"How's your first day going, little sis?" Yang ignored her sister's foul mood, trying to keep a happy atmosphere between them.

"You mean since you _ditched_ me and I _exploded_?"

"Yikes! Meltdown already?"

"No, I _literally_ exploded a hole in front of the school! And there was some fire, and I think some ice…?" Ruby thought for a moment as Yang slowly leaned forward, a goofy smile on her face.

"Are you being sarcastic?"

Ruby scoffed, slightly annoyed that her sister wasn't taking this seriously, "I wish! I tripped over some crabby guy's luggage, and then he yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I _exploded_ , and then he yelled at me again, and I felt really, _really_ bad, and I just wanted him to stop yelling at me!"

"YOU!" Ruby heard a familiar voice behind her, startling her and causing her to jump into her sister's arms.

"Oh, Dust, it's happening again!" No matter how cute this boy was, he was admittedly pretty scary.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Wynn's face was annoyed, having heard the entire conversation between Ruby and Yang. He didn't appreciate being called 'crabby'.

Yang's eyes widened as she looked down at the girl in her arms, "Oh my Dust, you really exploded…"

"It was an accident!" Ruby quickly got out of her sister's arms and stood up, facing Wynn, "I-it was an accident!" Before Ruby could continue, the boy held up a small pamphlet titled 'DUST for Dummies and Other Inadequate Individuals' in her face. "What's this?"

"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any _injuries or damages_ _sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory,_ ** _the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this _****_easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field._** " Every word that the boy said seemed to go by faster and faster as Ruby zoned out slightly. It all seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

Ruby finally realized that he had stopped talking and was waiting for a reply. She had no clue what he just said, so she settled for her classic approach, " _Uhhh…?_ "

"Do you really wanna start making things up to me?" The boy ever so slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Absolutely?" Ruby nodded, not wanting to distance herself any more from this guy. She had some sort of weird attraction to him, something that kept drawing her in to his graceful aura, despite his rude attitude towards others. She could tell that he was probably a nice person deep down, he just needed a reason to show it. And Ruby definitely wasn't providing him with any reasons.

Wynn shoved the pamphlet towards Ruby, who hesitantly took hold of it. "Read this, and don't ever speak to me again."

Ruby felt dejected at his words. She could understand where he was coming from, but she still wanted to be friends with him. _Oh, man… How am I going to fix this? I always mess things up._ Ruby turned her gaze towards Yang, hopefully. Yang caught on to her sister's look and put her hand behind her head awkwardly.

"Look, uh… It sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?" Yang shrugged as Ruby brightened up a bit. _I knew I could count on you Yang!_

The small huntress put the pamphlet away and smiled, "Great idea, sis!" She turned and held her hand out to Wynn while clearing her throat, "Hello, Wynn! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!" _Nice going, Ruby. School supplies? Real smooth._

Wynn perked up with false enthusiasm, "Yeah! And we can go shopping, and try on clothes, and talk about cute people like, short, blonde, and _nerdy_ over there!" He pointed behind himself to Joan, who looked up with a slight 'huh?' upon the mention of herself.

Ruby gasped, excitement clear in her voice, "Wow, really?!"

There was a dead silence, Wynn's glare pinned on Ruby as he frowned heavily.

"No."

Ruby looked down, her excitement vanishing and being replaced with more dejection. Everyone was quickly distracted by a noise that echoed throughout the auditorium, though, as they all looked up to the stage. Professor Ozpin was standing in front of the microphone, Glynda beside him, with his cane in one hand.

"I'll… Keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction." The students all started to whisper amongst each other. Ruby and Yang locked eyes for a moment before looking back up towards the stage. Ruby took notice that even though Wynn hated her, he was still standing right beside her, which gave her a small tinge of hope. Maybe they really can get along. Little did she know; Wynn was only standing there because he didn't know anyone else. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Ozpin slowly walked off the stage, heading back to his office, as Glynda took his place in front of the microphone, "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." She too fell in step behind Ozpin, leaving the students to talk amongst themselves once more.

Yang slowly looked to her peers, "He seemed kind of… Off."

Ruby noticed it too, adding, "It's almost like he wasn't even there."

A small silence fell among the three students, until Joan popped in beside Wynn. "I-I'm a natural blonde, you know!" She smiled awkwardly as Wynn facepalmed in exasperation.

oOoOoOo

All of the new students were gathered in the ballroom, sleeping bags spread out everywhere as they all got ready for bed. Although they were tired and needed to sleep, most of them couldn't get over their excitement over being accepted into the school, and the curiosity of what their initiation the next day would consist of. Ruby was laying on her stomach in her PJ's, writing in a small journal thoughtfully, when suddenly Yang crashed down next to her, startling her briefly.

"It's like a biiiiiiiiiiig slumber party!" Yang's smile stretched from ear to ear as she watched her little sister.

Ruby didn't bother looking up, already knowing her sister was probably smiling like a weirdo. "I don't think dad would approve of all the boys, though…"

"I know I do!" Yang let out a small purr as she watched several muscular, shirtless men playfully wrestle with each other. Suddenly, a short man with a pale green mohawk walked by, stopping to look at Yang. An ever so slight blush came onto his face as he shyly waved towards her. She made a slightly disgusted face for a moment, an equally disgusted noise with it, before she turned her gaze back to her little sister. "What's that?"

"Just a letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised I'd tell them all about Beacon and how things are going." Ruby had a slight smile on her face as she thought about her friends. Aaaaaaaaaaand the smile vanished when Yang spoke up.

"Aww, that's so cuuuuuuuuuuuute!" Yang was suddenly knocked back as a pillow slammed into her face, no doubt thrown by her little sister.

"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends to school with me! It's weird not knowing anyone here!" Anxiety slowly started to build up in Ruby again as she remembered that fact.

"What about Janice? She's… Nice? There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase!"

Ruby rolled over and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling, "It's Joan. And I'm pretty sure Wynn counts as a negative friend. Back to zero…"

"There's no such things as negative friends! You just made… One friend, and one enemy!" Yang was once knocked back as a small pillow collided with her face, this one looking like the face of a cute little puppy. "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!"

Yang's words reminded Ruby about what Joan had said earlier. _My mom always says, 'strangers are just friends you haven't met yet'!_ Maybe she was right. Maybe Ruby can make this work after all. Before Ruby could speak again, both girls noticed a candle being lit nearby. When they looked, they saw a girl with a black nightgown and bow leaning against the wall reading a book.

"That girl…" Ruby recognized her as the girl from earlier. The one who really ticked off Wynn.

"You know her?" An idea formed in Yang's head as she watched her little sister.

"Not really… She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything."

"Well, now's your chance!" Time to put her idea to action! Yang grabbed a hold of Ruby's arm and lifted her up, dragging her over to the girl in black, Ruby protesting the entire way. As they approached the girl, Yang sang out, "Hel-loooooooooo! I believe you two may know each other?" Ruby crossed her arms as her sister held her signature grin on her face.

The girl in black looked up and took note of the two girls before her, turning her gaze to Ruby. "Aren't you… That girl that exploded?"

 _Of course, that's how she'd remember me!_ "Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater…" She trailed off, smiling in embarrassment, "Actually, you can just call me Ruby…"

The girl in black had her nose in her book again, hardly paying attention to the girls in front of her. "Okay…"

Yang leaned over and whispered to her little sister, "What are you doing?"

Ruby whispered back desperately, "I don't know – _help me_!"

The elder sister smiled and spoke up once more, "So… What's your name?"

A sigh escaped the lips of the girl in black as she became slightly irritated at the presence of the two. "Blake."

"Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister!... I like your bow!"

"…Thanks."

"It goes great with your… Pajamas!" Yang, normally finding it easy to socialize with people, was desperately trying to find something to say to this girl.

"Right…" Yet she was still nose deep in her book, trying her best to ignore them.

Ruby laughed uncomfortably as her sister continued her efforts in vain, "Nice night, don't you think?"

"Yes – it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book!" She looked up as Ruby and Yang stood there, smiling, "That I will continue to read…" Still standing there smiling awkwardly were the two girls. "As soon as you leave." She looked down at her book once more, hoping they'd take the hint.

Yang turned to Ruby, finally losing hope, "Yeah, this girl's a lost cause."

Ruby, however, had a different idea. She stepped forward slightly, a curious look on her face. "What's it about?"

Blake looked up, slightly taken aback, "Huh?"

"Your book. Does is have a name?" (A/N: No, Ruby, it doesn't. Derp-hur-der! Sorry, that line gets me every time…)

"Well… I-it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."

Yang instantly lost interest being that she wasn't the book reading type. "Oh, yeah… That's real lovely…"

"I love books." Ruby smiled warmly, finally capturing the attention of the girl before her. "Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters… They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!"

Blake laughed a little, a real smile emerging on her face. "And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books… Someone who fought for what was right, and protected the people who couldn't protect themselves!" Ruby's face turned to one of determination, the fire in her eyes burning brightly as Blake watched her.

"That's… Very ambitious for a child." Her smile slowly turned into a frown as she looked down in thought, "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

"Well, that's why we're here! To make it better."

"Oh, I'm so proud of my baby sister!" Yang suddenly scooped Ruby into a tight hug, lifting her into the air.

Ruby started kicked her legs around, trying to break free, "Cut it out!" They soon started fighting playfully, causing quite a ruckus. Blake watched them, smiling and laughing lightly at their silliness.

"Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to ha-" She was suddenly interrupted as a man stormed over to them and angrily put his hands on his hips.

"What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realize some of us are trying to sle-!" As soon as Yang and the man made eye contact, they both shouted, "Oh, not you again!"

Ruby internally freaked out. Not wanting to anger the man again, she decided to just agree with him. "Shh! Guys, he's right! People are trying to sleep!" _Yeah! Nice one, Ruby! Maybe he'll notice that you're not bad after all!_

Her efforts were in vain, though, as the man once more took her words the wrong way, "Oh, _now_ you're on my side?!"

Ruby was taken aback at the sudden backfire of her actions. She looked at the man, a slightly desperate look on her face, "I-I was always on your side!" She honestly didn't want to fight with the man anymore, but he was being unreasonably impossible to get along with.

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!" Yang decided to cut in, a little upset at the man's rude actions towards her little sis. Ruby filled with dread at Yang's comment, knowing this would only further the divide between her and Wynn.

"She's a hazard to my health!" Wynn shot back, wounding Ruby slightly. She winced, balling up her fists and holding back tears.

"Would it kill you to at least _try_ and understand other people?!" She shouted at the white-haired man.

Wynn stepped back in surprise, his eyes wide. Nobody had ever stood up to him like that before, and he wasn't sure how to react. Of course, he still felt angry, but he also felt a twinge of guilt, which was something he'd never felt before. He watched as the small red huntress before him turned around and stormed off towards her sleeping bag. _What should I do? I… I want to apologize, but… No. I can't let that little red annoyance win._

"Whatever." Wynn stormed off towards his own bed, leaving behind the black and golden huntresses.

They looked at each other and shrugged, then Yang smiled warmly at her.

"Y'know, you don't have to be so quiet all the time. If you ever wanna hang out, I'll be here!"

Blake nodded and smiled slightly up at the blonde, causing her grin to widen even more, "I'll be sure to do that. It was nice meeting you, Yang."

"Anytime! Nighty night!" Yang happily waltzed off towards Ruby and her own bed, leaving the quiet huntress alone to finish her book.

Blake couldn't help the small grin that she had on her face. _Maybe I was wrong… Not everyone is as bad as him. I guess it wouldn't hurt… To make a few friends._

* * *

 ** _Rosewick is back ^_~!_**

 ** _I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, even though it's mostly just the show in words, with a few things added ^^'... (Don't worry, there'll be a LOT more changes as the story goes on!)_**

 ** _Review time! :D_**

 ** _Guest: (Love the name btw, lololol, jk, sorry..) Hmm, those names seem logical, but I didn't really feel like they fit. Whenever I write stories, I like to use names that really call out to me, something that really fits the character, y'know? Also, I Googled a bunch of names that mean 'white', and got a few good names. I couldn't choose between the name Witt or Wynn, so I asked my friend and she chose Wynn. ^^ (I like that one better anyway)_**

 ** _CherepMikhailov: No, you're great ^_~! (Smooth af)_**

 ** _Darkkseid: While Pyrrhus does seem logical, I feel like that name is still too feminine. I just can't see a man having that name .-. I did come up with the name Pyrrhan, which seems more masculine, but idk yet :P_**

 ** _RatedRSuperStar87: Eh, don't worry. He'll be a douche at first, but maybe Ruby can change that ^_~!_**

 ** _Alrighty then, as usual, if you haven't checked out my other story, "The Price of Forbidden Love", then you definitely should!_**

 ** _You should also check out my YouTube channel for other RWBY related stoof! The channel name is (no surprises here...) Rosewick!_**

 ** _Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next chapter!_**

 ** _Rosewick out ^_~!_**


	3. The First Step

_**Hiya, Rosewick here!**_

 ** _I know this chapter is a week late, sorry ;n;! I've just been really busy lately._**

 ** _Anywho, these next few chapters are going to be full of... CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! :D_**

 ** _Due to popular choice, Male!Pyrrha will be named Pyrrhus._**

 ** _I also went ahead and changed Jaune's name from Jaunedice to Joan, I've already edited it in the last two chapters._**

 ** _Btw, I'm having the best time ever writing down the interactions between Pyrrhus and Joan ^^ They're just so cute!_**

 ** _Anyway, here's chapter 3! I hope you all enjoy!_**

* * *

Chapter 3: The First Step

"Waaaaaaaake up, lazy butt!" A very energetic voice woke up a not-so-energetic man, causing him to sit up and groan. He watched as the female danced around him and sang out, "It's morning! It's morning! It's morning! It's moooorrrnniiinnngg!"

He sighed, wondering how she could be so energetic after just waking up. It was impossible for him to feel that energetic _any_ time of the day, but it seemed to be natural for her. The man got up and accompanied the girl to the restrooms to get ready for the day. While he brushed his teeth, the female continued her previously energetic behavior.

"I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full twenty-four hours! Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything. I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm… Well, I'm _me_! But it's just crazy, you know?" They both walked back into the ballroom where they slept, the female grabbing a hair brush and combing her hair while the male tied up his sleeping bag. "We've been together for _sooooooooo_ long! What are the odds that we'd still be together? Well, not 'together-together'…" Her cheeks took on a slightly pinkish tint as she thought about what she just said.

 _Not yet._ A slight smile crept up on the man's face as he thought that. He wasn't going to deny it. He had feelings for his childhood friend, and he knew that she felt the same way, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Not that I'm saying you're not handsome; you _are_ handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?" The blush on her face intensified as she talked, both of them heading to the cafeteria for breakfast. They both piled their plates full of pancakes and sat down, the girl continuing her previous ranting with a pancake hanging from her mouth. "Right! What was I thinking? But still, I hope we end up on the same team together!" She slurped up her pancake and quickly finished it, "Oohhhh! We should come up with some sort of plan, to make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we _bribe the headmaster_? No, that won't work. He has a school…"

Both of the adolescents walked to the locker rooms where their weapons were being stored. The male opened his locker, grabbing his weapons and checking them over, making sure they were loaded and ready for use. The girl suddenly appeared beside him, her rant once more continuing.

"I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal!" The girl gasped suddenly, her eyes shining with excitement, "A _secret_ signal, so we can find each other in the forest!" She poked her finger against the man's cheek as she questioned, "Can you imitate a sloth?"

Finally, the man spoke up, not turning away from his weapons as he replied.

"Nora?"

The female stopped what she was doing, looking at the man, to hear what he had to say.

"Yes, Ren?"

Ren sheathed his weapons into his sleeves as he spoke, "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."

Nora pondered this statement for a moment, finally taking on a joyous expression, "That's why it's _perfect_! No one will suspect we're working together!"

Ren smiled at the enthusiasm of his friend, reaching over and patting her on the head. "Come on, Nora. Let's go."

She smiled at the affection from her companion, following him through the locker room. "Not 'together-together'..." A giggle escaped her lips as they both passed by a certain red huntress and her sister.

"I wonder what those two are so worked up about?" Ruby watched the two polar opposites leave the locker room together as she spoke to her sister.

"Oh, who knows?" Yang smiled towards Ruby, "So, you seem awfully chipper this morning!"

The small huntress perked up, a goofy smile on her face. "Yup! No more awkward small talk, or 'getting-to-know-you' stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking." She sighed happily as she stroked Crescent Rose in her arms.

Yang took on a slightly worried expression, "Well, remember, Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together."

Ruby sighed in frustration, glaring at her older sibling. "Uuugghh, you sound like dad!" She shoved her weapon into her locker, turning back towards Yang. "Okay, first of all: What does meeting new people have to do with fighting? And secondly: I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink _milk_!" She crossed her arms as she said the last part, her sister trying desperately not to laugh.

"But what about when we form teams?"

Ruby suddenly got nervous, her mind running through all the possibilities and awkward situations that could fall upon her today. Of course, she was anxious about the possibility that she wouldn't be able to team with Yang, but a small part of her also hoped that she could be on a team with Wynn. Maybe if he saw her combat abilities and how well she could fight, he'd give her a chance.

Before her thoughts of Wynn could lead her astray, she responded to her sister, "Um, I don't know, I… I'll just be on your team, or something…" She turned around anxiously, avoiding eye contact with the older huntress.

Yang brought her hair around her shoulder and started combing it with her fingers, nervously speaking up, "Maybe you should try being on someone else's team…?"

Ruby quickly spun around and pointed a finger at her sister, who let go of her hair and leaned back slightly. "My dear sister, Yang. Are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?"

Yang quickly denied the question, becoming even more nervous than before, "What? No! Of course I do! I just though… I don't know, maybe it would help you… Break out of your shell?" The last part seemed more like a question. She was worried about her sibling, but also didn't want to upset her.

"What the-?!" Ruby was taken aback at her sister's comment, "I don't need to 'break out of my shell'! That's absolutely-!"

"Ridiculous!" Joan walked between the sisters with a map of the school in her hands. Despite the map, she looked very lost. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday… I would've remembered having to count that high! Oh, man… Why does this have to happen today…?" She hung her head in shame as she passed by two males who were readying themselves for initiation.

One of them was a man with bright, fiery red hair, dressed in what looked to be a sort of greekish gladiator armour. The other man, standing beside the first one, was Wynn. He wore his usual white suit, only this time having a silver rapier hooked onto his belt. He turned and looked up at the other man, who was a at least a good six inches taller than him, and spoke up, closing his locker.

"So, Pyrrhus, have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!" Wynn smiled up at the man, who gave a gentle smile back.

It was clear to Pyrrhus that Wynn was just being a kiss-ass, trying to win him over, but he chose to be polite anyway. "Hmm… I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."

"Well… I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together?"

 _Yup. Definitely a kiss-ass._ "Well, that sounds grand!" Pyrrhus lied, not wanting to make Wynn feel bad.

"Great!" The white hunter smiled proudly, hiding the mischievous pose and maniac grin in his mind. _This will be perfect! The smartest boy in class combined with the strongest boy in class! Together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now: We'll be popular! We'll be celebrities! We'll get perfect grades! Nothing can come between us now!_

Wynn's sinister thoughts were interrupted as Joan suddenly came up behind him.

"You know… I could be great for you too." Wynn stared at her with wide eyes. Joan suddenly blushed, realizing what she said, "I-I mean-! O-on a team! Y'know, t-teammates! A great teammate! Th-that's me! J-Joan Arc!" She laughed awkwardly as she made a fool of herself, her face flushed in a deep red.

Wynn rolled his eyes, clearly irritated. "You again?"

Pyrrhus quickly intervened, trying to prevent anything bad from happening. "Nice to meet you, Joan!"

"O-oh, um… Yeah… Hi…" She nervously side-stepped around the man, once more speaking to Wynn. "S-so… I uh… I heard something about t-teams! I was thinking…" She looked down in embarrassment, her hands twisting together behind her back. "M-maybe… You and I would make a g-good one…! So, h-how about it?" She kept her gaze down, avoiding any and all eye contact.

Wynn was about to make a sarcastic and rude comment when Pyrrhus once more stepped in. "Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each."

Joan looked up at Pyrrhus, a slight hope in her eyes. "R-really?"

"Yeah. So even if you aren't partners, I'm sure the possibility of still being on the same team is out there." Pyrrhus smiled gently at the small girl before him. Joan's heart seemed to melt with that smile, a slight blush making itself known on her face, tinting her cheeks a rosy pink.

"Oh, good! M-maybe we'll end up on a team together? I-I mean, if that's what you want… But, I'd be okay with that!"

Wynn suddenly cut between the two, looking at Joan with an annoyed expression. "Joan, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"N-not really…" Joan once more looked to the floor, averting her gaze from the eyes of Wynn.

" _This_ is Pyrrhus."

"Hello again!" Pyrrhus smiled and waved quickly as Wynn continued.

"Pyrrhus graduated top of his class at Sanctum!"

"I uhh… N-never heard of it…" Joan hung her head in shame slightly.

Wynn scoffed, becoming more irritated by the second. "He's won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row! A new record!"

"The… What?"

Finally, Wynn resorted to the last thing he knew of, something that any moron would know. He frantically waved his arms in anger, raising his voice, "He's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!"

Joan gasped loudly and pointed at Pyrrhus with bright eyes, "That's _you_?! But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"

Pyrrhus looked down, slightly embarrassed, "Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you."

Wynn spoke up once more, "So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask _him_ to be on your team?"

"I-I… Guess not… Sorry…" Joan hung her head in shame, pouting slightly with her shoulders drooped.

Feeling a bit annoyed with Wynn's rude nature and pity for Joan, Pyrrhus put his hand on the girl's shoulder, "Actually, Joan. I think you'd make a great leader!"

Joan blushed slightly as her eyes sparkled with excitement, "R-really?"

Pyrrhus nodded, a gentle smile on his face, "Really, really."

Before Joan let the comment go to her head, she frowned slightly, averting her gaze once more. "Oh, who am I kidding… You're probably just trying to make me feel better." Pyrrhus' face held both worry and pity as he watched the small girl before him, "And… I appreciate the effort, but… Please, just stop."

"Seriously, please stop it." Wynn spoke up once more, his haughty attitude and degrading manner still present, "This kind of behavior should not be encouraged."

His words struck Joan hard, leaving her fighting back tears. "W-well… G-good luck out there you guys… I'm sure you'll both get great teams!" She faked a smile as a voice came through the intercom system, it belonging to none other than Glynda Goodwitch.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately.

Wynn smiled and quickly headed off towards the exit, the redhead not far behind. Pyrrhus glanced at Joan once more before leaving, his face full of concern for the small blonde. He let out a small sigh before following Wynn out of the locker room.

"Hey, you alright?" A high pitched female voice spoke up, pulling Joan from her thoughts. She looked up to see her red huntress friend in front of her.

"Oh, y-yeah! Totally fine!" She scratched the back of her head awkwardly, faking another smile.

"Don't take what Wynn says seriously. He's just being rude. Trust me, I'd know…"

"Yeah… Didn't you explode in front of him?"

Ruby's face flushed a red colour from embarrassment, "Y-yeah, but it was an accident!"

Joan giggled, feeling slightly better. A real smile was on her face as she spoke back up, "Thanks, Ruby."

The red huntress smiled happily, seeing that her friend was cheering up. "C'mon, let's get going! We don't want to be late to initiation!"

"Oh, right!" They both followed the direction that the previous two had left to, Yang not far behind.

Yang smiled at the sight of her little sister making friends. _She really is growing up, huh?_ She was proud of her sibling and she wouldn't deny it.

oOoOoOo

The first-year students were all lined up along Beacon Cliff, the vast Emerald Forest spread out before them. Each and every student stood on their own metal platform, yet none of them knew the real purpose behind them. Near the end of the line was Wynn and Pyrrhus, followed by the green haired male that Yang had seen the night before. After him stood Nora and Ren, then a large armour-clad male with coppery hair and deep blue eyes. Next to him stood Yang, Ruby on the platform next to hers. And lastly, on the remaining platform stood Joan. All of the students had their combat gear on along with their accompanied weapons, all loaded and ready for combat.

Standing before the group of students was none other than Headmaster Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch. Ozpin had his cane in one hand and a mug of hot chocolate in the other, while Glynda held a large scroll in hers. The Headmaster's gaze roamed over the line, focusing intently on each and every student before him. He finally cleared his throat and started to speak.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Glynda was the next one to speak, "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of your will be given teammates… Today." She narrowed her eyes slightly on the last word.

Ruby fidgeted nervously as she heard this, her anxiety making itself known once more. She mumbled quietly to herself, "What? Awhh…"

Ozpin once more spoke up, "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." A slight groan could be heard from Ruby as he continued, "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." He nonchalantly sipped his hot cocoa as he watched the students.

Ruby froze instantly as her world seemed to shatter around her and fall apart. " _Whaaaat_?!"

Nora, on the other hand, seemed very excited. She smugly smiled at her partner, one hand on her hip and the other one motioning towards him. "See? I _told_ you!" Ren smiled at his female companion as she happily bounced in place.

After another calm sip of cocoa, the Headmaster continued, "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… Or you _will_ die."

Joan laughed nervously and gulped loudly, hoping he was just joking with them all. Once more, Nora seemed all too happy to hear the news, a giant smile on her face as she looked towards Ren.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene." Joan's face became slightly paler upon hearing this, "You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin looked over the students once more as Joan timidly raised her hand.

"Y-yeah, um, sir?"

" **Good**! Now, take your positions." After completely disregarding the small huntresses attempt to question him, he sipped from his mug again. All the students started getting into their preferred positions for launch.

Joan still had her hand raised, her anxiety growing after every second that passed by. She once more tried to question the Headmaster. "Uh, s-sir? I've, uhh… I've g-got a question…" As she asked this, Wynn's platform sprang into action, launching the snowy man into the air towards the forest at a great speed. She realized that the platforms were all activating down the line, silently thanking every force known that she was the last one. That still didn't ease her tension, though. "S-so, this… Landing strategy… Thing… Uhh, wha-what is it? A-are you, like, dropping us off… Or something?"

Still keeping his calm and nonchalant behavior, Ozpin responded, "No. You will be falling."

Joan's heart started beating faster as the line kept moving, launching students one by one, slowly getting closer to herself, "O-oh, uh, I see… So, like, d-did you hand out parachutes for us?"

"No. You will be using your own 'landing strategy'."

Yang turned to her little sister and winked, putting on a pair of aviators before flying off with a "WOO-HOOOOOOOOOO~!" Ruby turned and smiled at Joan before being launched right after her sister, leaving her friend as the last of them on the cliff.

"So, what exactly is a landing strategYYYYYYYYY~!" Joan's launch pad activated mid-sentence, sending her flailing through the air towards the forest.

Ozpin watched as all the students began falling in the direction of the trees before him, calmly taking another sip of his hot cocoa. _This year's going to be great. What an interesting bunch._

* * *

 ** _Rawr! I'm back :3_**

 ** _I'm already halfway through the next chapter, so you all better be ready next week!_**

 ** _*Whispers* So many ideas and so little time... OuO_**

 ** _Anywho, let's do some reviews!_**

 ** _Shiranai Atsune: I hope you're enjoying the story so far ^^ It's been really fun to write! Feel free to send me any suggestions or things that you want me to add to the story! Also, further into the story, I'll ask you for your opinion on some of the things I've planned out._**

 ** _Guest #1: Don't worry, I changed her name for you ^_~!_**

 ** _Guest #2: Ehh, that's just my preference. I do acknowledge that they said it in the show, yes, but I myself prefer not to include any sort of religious affairs into the story. I'm really sorry ^^'..._**

 ** _Futureplz: Me too OuO_**

 ** _Alrighty then, that's it for today!_**

 ** _If you haven't already, you should check out my YouTube channel, Rosewick, for other RWBY related things!_**

 ** _I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and have a great day! ^^_**

 ** _Rosewick out ^_~!_**


	4. The First Step, Pt2

**_Man, it's been a while since I've updated this story... Sorry ^^'_**

 ** _At long last, here's chapter 4! I'm already halfway through chapter 5 and I'll probably have that one posted very soon._**

 ** _I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and once again, I'm sorry for the late update!_**

* * *

Chapter 4: The First Step Pt.2

The Emerald Forest was quiet and calm, a nice peaceful atmosphere surrounding it. The slight wind blew through the leaves of the trees as the sun shined down from the clear blue sky. A small bird was coasting through the air, enjoying its daily flight before it's hard day of having to build a nest for its soon-to-be family. _Ah, what a wonderful day! Nothing can go wro-SPLAT!_ Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand the bird was gone.

Ruby Rose, the small red huntress in training, flew through the air after being launched off Beacon Cliff. Unfortunately for her (and the poor bird), that bird was directly in her line of flight. As her body smashed into the floofy little guy, it exploded into a flurry of black feathers, causing the small huntress to feel rather sorry for it as she cried out, "BIRDIE, NOOOO~!"

She then proceeded to take out Crescent Rose, expanding it to rifle form and firing off a few rounds to decelerate her fall. Expanding it to its scythe form, she caught a branch from a tree in its blade, disappearing into the leaves.

Wynn, Myrtenaster in hand, summoned a white snowflake glyph under himself, leaping from it and into the forest below.

Ren flew through the air, Nora passing him at a much greater speed, and spun himself around with his weapons in hand. He used StormFlower's blades to catch the trunk of the tree and spiral downwards to the ground. After landing, he calmly brushed off his clothes before looking up to see a sudden flash of yellow. This yellow was, in fact, Yang Xiao-Long.

"WOO-HOOOO~! YEAH! ALLEY-OOP~!" She couldn't help the laughs that escaped from her, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she soared through the air. Every now and then she'd fire off a few shots from Ember Celica, using the momentum to push her further and further into the forest. With every shot, she'd laugh loudly and spin through the air, a giant goofy smile on her face. Finally, she crashed through the leaves and branches of a tree, leaping off one trunk to another before tumbling to the ground. As she landed, she rolled her body, quickly jumping up and running to keep the momentum going.

" _Nailed it!_ "

Pyrrhus was next, soaring through the air with Akoúo̱ held out in front of him and Miló, in sword form, grasped in his other hand. He used Akoúo̱ as both a shield and a force to crash through several tree branches, finally landing on a branch and kneeling. He quickly collapsed Miló into rifle form, scanning the area around him for any danger before spotting Joan tumbling through the air. She was still screaming as she flailed all her limbs, trying desperately to regain her sense of direction. Seeing the helpless failing state of the small girl, Pyrrhus quickly became worried for her safety. He expanded Miló into its spear form and took aim, the entire weapon lined up perfectly with his toned arms, before hurling it with a vast amount of force deep into the forest. A moment later, a _thud_ echoed through the trees and a very quiet "Thank you!" could be heard from the same direction.

Pyrrhus waved in the distance, shouting a brief "I'm sorry!" before descending from the tree to head in that direction.

Meanwhile, somewhere else within the forest, Ruby dropped down from the trees and landed in a crouch. She quickly looked up and proceeded to sprint through the trees, using her semblance to quicken her pace. Her mind was running almost as fast as she was while she thought about finding a partner.

 _Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang, gotta find…!_ "Yang! _Yaaaaang_!" After desperately shouting for her sister with no progress made, she continued her train of thoughts. _Ok, this is bad. This is really bad! What if I can't find her? What if someone finds her first? Well, there's always Joan. She's nice, and pretty cute! …I don't think she's very good at combat though… Ooh! What about Blake?! So mysterious, so calm… Plus she likes books! Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her… Ugh!_ The small red huntress shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. _Okay… Who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Joan, Blake, aaand…_

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as a large white object obscured her path. Ruby quickly skidded to a halt before she could collide with the person before her. The white-clad hunter turned towards her with an eyebrow raised. Silver eyes slowly traveled up and finally locking with pale blue ones. A deafening pause followed with a tension thick enough to cut with her scythe. The moment was broken when Wynn sharply turned on his heel and walked in the complete opposite direction from Ruby.

"W-wait! Where are you going?!" As the handsome man disappeared into the brush, she hung her head slightly and kicked the ground dejectedly while mumbling, "We're supposed to be teammates…"

Wynn struggled as he tried to walk through the thick bushes, the small branches catching on his clothing. An occasional grunt or silent "Ow!" escaped from his lips as he pushed through the plants. He brushed himself off as he emerged from the treacherous forces of nature, sighing in relief. Upon hearing a voice, the white-clad hunter looked up.

"Come on, come on! Stupid…!" Joan was desperately trying to free herself from the spear that was pinning her hood to the tree, yet she was making no progress whatsoever. Finally giving up on trying to pull it out, she sighed and looked down. She spotted Wynn and gasped, a heavy blush spreading across her face. Her hand came up and she awkwardly waved at the boy as she hung there in embarrassment. Wynn, with a face void of any emotions, once more spun on his heel and walked back in the direction from which he came. Joan groaned and sighed in dejection, hanging her head in shame.

As Wynn passed by Ruby, he grabbed onto her hood and started dragging her along behind him. "By no means does this make us friends." He made it very clear of just how annoyed he was.

Ruby, on the other hand, perked up as Wynn pulled her along, "You came back!" She cried, throwing her arms in the air and smiling widely as they both disappeared into the bushes.

Joan watched with an empty feeling as the white hunter dragged away her friend. "Hey, w-wait! Come back! Who's going to get me down from here…?" After being ignored, the female sighed, hanging her head once more as she held back tears. _Maybe coming to this school was a bad idea after all…_

"Joan?" A familiar voice reached Joan's ears, causing her to look up. Standing before her, crossing his arms and smiling, was Pyrrhus himself. "Do you… Have any spots left on your team?"

Crossing her arms, Joan feigned annoyance, "Very funny…" She eventually looked down at the man, a cute smile on her face. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he saw that smile, and he returned the action.

oOoOoOo

Wynn trudged quickly through the forest, mildly angry, as Ruby followed shortly behind him.

"What's the hurry?"

"I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow! I swear, if I get a bad grade because of you-" His sentence was interrupted as a sudden gust of wind blew by and a ball of red whizzed past him. Suddenly, Ruby was standing in front of him, a playful smile on her face. "What the…?"

Ruby was bubbling with joy at the fact that she had impressed Wynn, even if only slightly. "I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!"

Wynn looked behind him before returning his amazed face towards Ruby again, "When did…?"

"Wynn, just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people, doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters!" She reached up and put her arm around the man's shoulders, "You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Wynn! And after it's all over, you're going to be like, 'wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool… And I wanna be her friend.'" She slowly panned her hand out in front of them, grinning at Wynn before disappearing and leaving a shower of rose petals in her wake.

Wynn started waving the rose petals away from his face, surprised yet annoyed still, when he started hearing crackling in the nearby bushes. He put his hand on his hip as he called out, "You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!" There was no response, so Wynn called out again, "Ruby?" The forest darkened slightly as Wynn leaned forward, his hand on the hilt of Myrtenaster. A pair of glowing red eyes watched the man from behind as he once more tried, "Ruby…?"

Several more pairs of those eyes appeared in the bushes around the hunter as a low growl was heard. Wynn slowly turned around as a large, jagged Beowolf emerged from one of the bushes and started to approached him. Upon seeing the dark creature of Grimm, Wynn started to panic slightly. His mind raced with thoughts and concerns about his partner. _Crap, where's Ruby? Is she okay? Did the Grimm get to her? Oh, Dust, please tell me she's okay!_

The white-clad hunter's thoughts were interrupted as the Beowolf before him let out a deep roar, the sound echoing through the trees…

* * *

 _ **That horrible moment when you've already got plans for this story leading up to Volume 4 and beyond, yet you're still on the Volume 1 part of the story.**_

 _ **I cry every time. I'll get there eventually, though ^^! I have so many fun things planned for this story! There are just so many changes that are possible!**_

 _ **Anyway, review time!**_

 _ **Shiranai Atsune: Hm hm hm! You'll just have to wait and see ^_~!**_

 _ **Guest: Well, it makes more sense, and it's quicker to type Joan than Jaundice. I always stumble over my fingers (problems for fast typers :c) whenever I type that name.**_

 _ **FfReader123: Thanks for the reminder ^^' I probably would have forgotten all about that, lol**_

 _ **RatedRSuperStar87: Yeah, either way, it'll take some getting used to Ruby for him :P**_

 ** _jmspikey: *Shrug* I just remember seeing Jaunedice as an episode name and saying "Meh, that sounds like it could be a girl's name". Then I looked up the meaning and was like "D: why did I do this?"_**

 ** _Well, that's all for now! I'll have the next chapter up really soon, and I hope you all enjoyed this one!_**

 ** _Rosewick out ^_~!  
_**


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